1. pets
2. dogs

WELSH TERRIER CLUB OF AMERICA
STANDING RULES
PROCEDURES
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
and
SAMPLE DOCUMENTS
(AS OF May 29, 2014)
Table of Contents
STANDING RULES...................................................................................................................... 1
Annual Awards ....................................................................................................................... 1
Categories ........................................................................................................................... 1
Sponsorship of Awards ....................................................................................................... 3
Eligibility and Rules ............................................................................................................. 3
Trophies .................................................................................................................................. 3
Board ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Breeders List .......................................................................................................................... 6
Committees ............................................................................................................................ 7
General Rules ......................................................................................................................... 7
Judges .................................................................................................................................... 8
Membership .......................................................................................................................... 10
General ............................................................................................................................. 10
New Members ................................................................................................................... 12
Specialty Guidelines ............................................................................................................. 12
Sweepstakes Rules .............................................................................................................. 13
Wag ...................................................................................................................................... 13
PROCEDURES .......................................................................................................................... 15
Double Envelope System for Voting ................................................................................... 15
Authority: ......................................................................................................................... 15
Duties of the Recording Secretary: ................................................................................. 15
Duties of the Voting Members: ........................................................................................ 16
Duties of the Inspectors of Election and Vote Tally Procedure: ...................................... 16
JOB DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................................................................ 17
Officers ................................................................................................................................ 17
President ......................................................................................................................... 17
Vice President ................................................................................................................. 18
Recording Secretary ........................................................................................................ 19
Corresponding Secretary ................................................................................................ 20
Treasurer ......................................................................................................................... 21
Committees ......................................................................................................................... 22
AKC Gazette Committee ................................................................................................. 22
Ethics Committee ............................................................................................................ 24
Hospitality Committee ..................................................................................................... 26
Nominating Committee .................................................................................................... 27
Webmaster ...................................................................................................................... 29
SAMPLE DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................................ 31
Sample Judge Contract ...................................................................................................... 31
Sample Balloting Instruction Letter for Membership ........................................................... 32
STANDING RULES
Annual Awards
Categories
Annual Awards shall be made in the following categories:
Conformation
Class Awards: Total number of Welsh Terriers defeated from the class
entered. No annual award points can be accumulated after the date
that a championship has been achieved.
Puppy Dog (6 to 9 & 9 to 12 Classes)
Junior Dog (12 to 18)
American Bred Dog
Bred by Exhibitor Dog
Amateur Owner Handler Dog (February 2009)
Open Dog
Winners Dog Award: Total number of class Welsh Terriers of the same
sex defeated.
Puppy Bitch (6 to 9 & 9 to 12 Classes)
Junior Bitch (12 to 18)
American Bred Bitch
Bred by Exhibitor Bitch
Amateur Owner Handler Bitch (February 2009)
Open Bitch
Veteran Dog: Total number of Welsh Terriers defeated from this class.
Veteran Bitch: Total number of Welsh Terriers defeated from this class.
Brace: Total number of Welsh Terrier braces defeated.
Winners Bitch Award: Total number of class Welsh Terriers of the
same sex defeated.
Best of Winners Award: Total number of all class entries minus one.
Best of Breed Award: Total number of Welsh Terriers entered minus
one. This award will be known as the Corbscot Award.
(February 2009)
BOS Award: Dog or Bitch of the opposite sex to the Best of Breed
Award winner with the most accumulated breed points.
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 1
Breeding
Best Stud Dog: This award goes to the owner/s of the Stud dog with the
most champion get (get does not have to be owned by WTCA
members).
Best Brood Bitch: This award goes to the owner/s of the Brood bitch with
the most champion get (get does not have to be owned by WTCA
members).
Breeder of Most Champions: This award goes to the breeders or cobreeders of the most champions (note: all get must be bred by exact
same owners or co-owners).
Performance: The scores for the performance awards will be provided by
the applicants to the Awards committee and they will be corroborated
by the committee in the AKC Awards Magazine. The form will be
published in the WTCA Wag.
Highest Scoring Dog in Obedience: This award will be for the dog with the
highest score in Obedience. In case of a tie, the highest score in the
highest class will win.
Highest Scoring Dog in Rally Obedience: This award will be for the dog
with the highest score in Rally Obedience. In case of a tie, the highest
score in the highest class will win.
Highest Scoring Dog in Agility (Standard): This award will be for the dog
with the highest score in Agility, Standard Class. In case of a tie, the
highest score in the highest class will win. If the tie persists, the better
time (seconds under course time) wins. However, if the highest class
is the Master’s Class, the dog having the better time and having
acquired at least six (6) double qualifying scores (qualifying in both
Standard and Jumpers with Weaves on the same day (QQs)) during
the year, shall be the winner. (August 2013)
Highest Scoring Dog in Agility (Jumpers with Weaves): This award will be
for the dog with the highest score in Agility, Jumpers with Weaves
Class. In case of a tie, the highest score in the highest class will win. If
the tie persists the better time (seconds under course time)
wins. However, if the highest class is the Master’s Class, the dog
having the better time and having acquired at least six (6) double
qualifying scores (qualifying in both Standard and Jumpers with
Weaves on the same day (QQs)) during the year, shall be the winner.
(August 2013)
Best Earthdog: This award will be given to the owner/s of the dog that has
more qualifying points. Qualifying runs in Junior Earthdog Class, 1 pt.
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 2
Qualifying runs in the Senior Earthdog Class, 2 pts. Qualifying runs in
the Master Earthdog Class, 3 pts.
Special Awards:
Bill Etter Award: An award to honor Bill Etter will be offered to the best
amateur owner-handler who has earned the greatest number of BOB
points. (June 1989)
Junior Handler: This award will be offered by the WTCA to the Junior
Handler showing a Welsh Terrier that has defeated the greatest
number of other Junior Handlers. The Junior must be a member of
the WTCA.
President’s Award: At the discretion of the President, an award or awards
may be given to a member of the WTCA for outstanding service to the
Club. (March 1998)
Sponsorship of Awards
If more than one person requests to sponsor the same annual award, the
donor will be selected on the basis of seniority in the WTCA.
(November 1984)
Eligibility and Rules
WTCA Annual Awards: to be eligible all owners of the individual dogs must be
members in good standing of the WTCA throughout the entire award year –
July 1 – June 30. (October 1992) (February 2007)
The award year covers shows/trials held between July 1 and June 30 of the
following year. (June 2011)
In awarding points for BOS award, both sexes will now be counted. Stud dog
and brood bitch awards will be awarded to the owners and not the breeders
as previously done. (October 1988)
In cases of ties in the annual awards, the recipient of the award will be
determined by a random drawing held at the annual dinner. (August 2000)
(June 2011)
The Awards Committee Chair shall publish the names of the top 5 contenders
in each category. (October 2010)
Trophies
The Grand Challenge and the Junior Challenge Trophies will be offered at the
Montgomery County Kennel Club Specialty. (June 1984)
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 3
Grand Challenge Cup and Junior Challenge Cup, shall be retained by the club
in a secure area designated by the Board. (June 1988) (June 2011)
The WTCA will provide rosettes for national specialties when they are not
provided by the host club. Rosettes will be provided for BOB, BOS, BW,
WD, and WB. (June 1989) (April 2005) (June 2011)
Up to 4 Awards of Merit may be awarded at the judge’s discretion. All Welsh
Terriers eligible for Best of Breed (excluding the Best of Breed winner) will
be eligible for an Award of Merit. The Welsh Terrier Club of America will
recognize these outstanding Welsh Terriers by offering a Rosette and
WTCA Medallion. (June 1997) (March 2011)
The Homer Gage Trophy will consist of a silver plated plate with the WTCA
logo engraved, designated as “The Homer Gage, Junior, Memorial Trophy”
and awarded outright annually to the best American bred Welsh Terrier
exhibited by a member of the WTCA at the Montgomery KC show. The
trophy shall bear the inscription “Given in memory of Homer Gage, Junior,
Gentleman, sportsman, lover of dogs, who died September 2, 1925.” The
interest from the Homer Gage fund will be applied to the purchase of the
Trophy. The difference between the interest earned on the Homer Gage
account and the cost of the award will be paid for from the Homer Gage
account itself. The amount of the trophy will not exceed $120.00 per year,
which will include all engraving and shipping. (June 1997) (May 2012)
For all AKC licensed Welsh Terrier Regional Clubs hosting a WTCA Floating
Specialty in their home territory, the WTCA will donate $25 to that Regional
Club's Specialty Show trophy fund. This would be in addition to providing
trophies for the WTCA Floating Specialty being held in conjunction with
their show. The Regional Clubs needs to contact the WTCA Corresponding
Secretary with their request at least 6 months prior to the date of the show.
(January 2013)
At the National Specialty and at each Floating Specialty weekend, trophies will
be offered in performance events. If performance events are not offered at
the show hosting the Specialty but are offered at a companion event, the
trophies will be provided at the event immediately preceding or following the
National Specialty. For obedience, one trophy will be given for the highest
scoring Welsh terrier in each of the following categories: Novice, Open,
Utility, and Open B & Utility Combined. For Agility, one trophy will be
awarded to a Welsh terrier in each of the following categories: Novice,
Open, Excellent and Master. A trophy will be given to every Jr. Handler
showing a Welsh terrier in the Jr. Handling classes at the National or
Floating Specialty shows. (March 1998) (May 2010) (August 2013) (May
2014)
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 4
Requests for trophy donations will be made with the dues notice and may also
be made by a separate request (October 2000) (June 2011)
Board
The minutes of the regular meetings and board meetings shall be posted on
the Website. Results of all votes from executive sessions will also be
posted on the Website. (October 1985) (August 2011) (December 2012)
Minutes from the Annual Meeting will be published in the WAG and posted on
the Website. (December 2012)
Minutes of board meetings will be approved by the Board before being posted
on the Website. (October 1991) (August 2011) (December 2012)
Voting by Email. Pursuant to the provisions listed in the by-laws regarding
Board Business, the Board may conduct its business by Email voting.
Such business shall not conflict with any provision in the by-laws.
In order to vote via email, the President and Recording Secretary
(secretary) shall identify each Board member by their email address and
electronic signature. Such address and signature will be provided to the
Recording Secretary upon election to the Board. Each email sent
regarding Board business shall include the Board member’s name,
address and telephone number at the bottom of the post.
Each Email vote must include the agreement of the Board member to
voting in this manner. Before counting the vote, the secretary will
determine that the issue to be voted on by Email has been received by all
Board members. A majority of Board members voting will be necessary to
record the vote as valid.
The Secretary shall record the vote by return email within seven days of
the vote. Such vote will be recorded in the minutes, as any vote of the
Board shall be.
Definition. For purposes of this rule, an “Electronic Signature” means the
name, address and phone number of the individual Board member
contained in the email sent to vote Board business. (May 2013)
Mailings to the entire membership shall have Board approval. (October 1985)
(August 2011)
All materials and services that are to be paid for by the Club shall be preapproved by the Board. (November 1984) (August 2011)
Both the President and the Treasurer will be allowed to sign checks for the
WTCA. The Treasurer shall ensure that bank signature cards are current.
(October 1991) (August 2011)
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 5
Board approval is needed before a donation can be made by the WTCA.
(June 1994) (April 2008)
Any gift to the outgoing President of the club will be selected by the VicePresident. Price of the gift will not exceed $200. (March 1998)
(August 2003)
When a candidate for the Board selected by the Nominating Committee has
opposition from the membership, it will be required that a letter be sent by
the Recording Secretary to the candidate immediately advising him/her and
naming the opposing nomination. In addition, an email may be sent as a
courtesy. (June 2000) (April 2008) (August 2011)
The annual election ballot shall read “vote for no more than two” for the at large
Board positions. (June 2000) (August 2011)
Breeders List
Any member who refuses to be responsible for their puppies should be
removed from the Breeders List. (October 1991)
Breeders List - guidelines and requirements:
WTCA member in good standing for a minimum of two years. (June 1993)
Members must have bred two Welsh Terriers that have received their
American Championships in conformation. (October 1993) (March 1995)
(January 2008)
Members must sign a code of ethics. (June 1993)
Non-compliance with any of the rules of the Breeders List may result in WTCA
Board action for immediate removal from the Breeders List. (June 1993)
Will not sell any dog without a limited registration and/or spay/neuter contract
unless there is a written agreement between the breeder and the purchaser
with regard to showing and/or breeding, left to the discretion of the breeder.
(October 1993) (January 2008)
The correct WTCA BRN document to be placed in use is the updated
document which appears on the WTCA website. (October 1999)
(April 2008)
Breeder compliance will become the responsibility of the WTCA board.
(October 2000)
The WTCA web site will provide the contact information for all breeder
members who have signed the code of ethics. A printed list of all breeders
will be mailed (on request) by the BRN chairman. Both the list and the web
site will indicate that WTCA endorses established, long-term breeding
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 6
programs and encourages new members to work with mentors within the
club in the early stages of their breeding programs. (November 2000)
Applications will be sent to the Recording Secretary for verification of referral
network qualifications. Upon verification the applicants information will be
sent to the BRN committee for inclusion in the list. (January 2008)
Committees
Current Committees
Advertising
AKC Delegate
AKC Gazette Breed
Column
Annual & Performance
Awards
Audit
Boutique
Historian and Record
Keeping
Specialty Banquet –
Montgomery
Hospitality
Specialty Show
Coordinator
Judge's Education &
Mentoring
Kimberton Agility Trial
Legislation & National
Breed Alliance
Standing Rules Review
and Revision
(temporary)
Trophy
Versatility Awards
BRN Referral
Meet the Breeds – New
York
Ethics
Meet the Breeds - Orlando
Ways & Means
Floating Specialty (one for
each year in the
schedule)
Membership
Webmaster
Nominating
Yearbook
Health
Parent Club Photographer
WAG
Site Selection
All Committee Chairs are required to submit any recommended changes to
their committee's job description to the Recording Secretary. (May 2007)
(August 2011)
Committee Chairs who collect money for any project will send checks received
to the Treasurer at least monthly. (March 2007)
General Rules
The Board may authorize funding for the Boutique and other fund raising
projects. (October 1990) (August 2011)
Smoking will not be permitted at WTCA dinners or meetings. (October 1993)
A permanent record will be kept on the Standing Rules by the Recording
Secretary and will at all times be available at all meetings. (March 1995)
(August 2011)
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 7
If a Junior Handler showing a Welsh Terrier qualifies for Westminster they will
be reimbursed the following after competing in the Junior Showmanship
classes with a Welsh Terrier at Westminster: $100.00 towards expenses in
qualifying for Westminster and $100.00 towards expenses for showing in
the Junior Handling classes at Westminster. Maximum total reimbursement
of $200.00. A reminder, per the AKC rules for Junior Showmanship. “An
individual listed as an agent is not eligible to compete in Juniors, nor any
person who distributes rate cards or otherwise advertises themselves as
handling dogs for pay in the show ring, or accepts payment for handling
dogs.” (May 2001) (August 2011)
Mailings by various officers and committees may be combined in an effort to
save postage as long as the combined mailing does not conflict with the ByLaws or other standing rules. (August 2011)
Judges
The Board may select a judge from the approved list for the present year
should the present year judge not be able to do the assignment.
(June 1989) (August 2011)
Judges for supported entry weekends - we will request a Terrier panel and then
approve of disapprove each name. (June 1989)
Expense money for our Montgomery County Sweepstakes Judge - $200 which
would include one night’s motel was suggested. (Floating Specialty
sweepstakes judges will not be compensated for their expenses.
(June 1989) (August 2011)
The selection process for judges as outlined in the May 1999 Wag shall be put
to use:
In the May Wag, members will be invited to submit up to three names to the
Recording Secretary by July 15th. A list of ineligible judges (due to prior
WTCA Specialty assignments over the last eight years) will be included.
(October 2002)
The Recording Secretary will cull ineligible judges (not licensed for Welsh
Terriers {this information is readily available in the searchable judges
directory on the AKC website}) and compile a final list of the top ten highest
vote getters excluding those who only receive one vote. (July 2008)
The judge’s contract is to stipulate that a judge will not accept any other Welsh
Terrier judging assignment in the continental United States within 6 months
prior to the Montgomery County WTCA Specialty. (October 2003)
(July 2008)
By August 15th, a final ballot of available judges will be sent to members.
Ballots will have to be returned to the Recording Secretary by September
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 8
15th. The double envelope system will be used for balloting. (October 2002)
(August 2011)
The Recording Secretary will inform the President of the results. The President
will invite the winner to judge via phone (working down the list if top votegetter suddenly becomes unavailable). The President will immediately
release the other judges. The Corresponding Secretary will send a letter
and a contract to the selected judge. (July 2008)
The President will announce the results at the Annual Meeting in October. The
results will appear in the November Wag. (July 2008)
This selection process for judges will also apply to Sweeps Judges with the
exception of the AKC licensing requirement. However, the nominating
person must verify with the nominee their willingness to be a Sweeps Judge
prior to their nomination. (July 2008)
Floating Specialties (Regional and Other)
1. The judge will be selected from the host club panel. The host club will
be either an all breed club or group club
2. The show chair for the next Floating Specialty (usually two years out)
will obtain the panel that has been hired by the host club. After
removing the names of judges who are not licensed for Welsh Terriers,
the remaining list will be presented to the Board. The Board will rank
them in order of preference and return this information to the floater
show chairman. The floater show chairman will then coordinate with the
host club, advising them of our request.
3. If the host club has not completed their panel and requests input on a
Welsh Terrier Judge, the floater chairman will contact the Board through
the Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary will provide the
names of the top three judges next in line from the list voted on by the
membership, and whose top choice was announced at the previous
annual meeting
4. The floater show chairman will work with the host club to ensure that the
names on that list will be used in order of preference to ensure the
wishes of the WTCA membership.
5. Should the host club not be able to hire any of the three names
provided, then the floater show chairman will advise the Board and
provide the hired panel for the Board to rank as provided in number 2
above. (July 1999) (April 2011)
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 9
Membership
General
A $10 surcharge per year will be added to foreign membership applications
(outside of Canada) to cover costs of mailings. If a U. S. mailing address is
provided by the member, the $10 fee will be waived. (June 1991) (May
2013)
The WTCA shall dedicate the Montgomery County Kennel Club specialty to all
members who have died the past year with a dedication page placed in the
MCKC catalog. (October 1992) (August 2011)
As of October 2, 1992, the Membership Chairperson will assume all
responsibility for processing new memberships except for those assigned to
the Corresponding Secretary in the By-Laws. (July 1992) (August 2011)
Bounced checks - anyone who bounces two checks will be required to pay by
money order in the future. (June 1994)
The Membership List will be printed no later than 45 days after unpaid
membership lapsed – see Article 1, Section 4 By Laws. (March 1995)
(April 2005) (August 2011)
Effective 1/1/2009, annual dues will be $60 for doubles, $35 for individuals, and
$15 for junior members. (June 1997) (October 2008)
The revised Code of Ethics (conveying a more positive tone) was approved:
As a WTCA member, I will:
Comply with all American Kennel Club and WTCA rules.
Accept and support the Constitution and By-laws of the WTCA.
Be a responsible dog owner and maintain high standards in the care and
training of my dogs.
Keep the health and welfare of the dogs the first criterion in breeding or
selling Welsh Terriers.
Breed only to improve my dogs to the standard of the breed.
Sell dogs using true representation to the purchaser, both in verbal
statements and in advertising.
Sell all dogs, which are not to be shown in conformation with AKC Limited
Registration, preferably with a spay-neuter contract in addition.
Offer stud service to bitches or use as stud dogs only animals registered
with the AKC or a foreign national registry, which are genetically
sound and of good conformation, health, and temperament. The Stud
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 10
Dog owner’s role includes responsibility for all litters sired by his dog.
Stud Dogs should be made available only to bitches whose owners
adhere to the basic principles of the WTCA Code of Ethics.
Refuse to sell dogs to wholesalers or retailers or donate dogs to raffles or
auctions. I will sell or donate dogs to research only if that research is
breed-related and WTCA approved.
Help purchasers with advice and instruction for the life of the dog. I will
guide novice persons interested in conformation showing, obedience,
and performance events.
Assist the owner and WTCARES in re-placement of all dogs I breed or
sell for the life of the dog.
Strongly encourage owners to obtain an AKC championship on at least
one dog before beginning a breeding program.
Make referrals only to breeders who are believed to adhere to all of the
above.
Help to educate the general public regarding all aspects of Welsh
Terriers. (June 2000)
It was decided that the procedures for the payment of membership dues will be
added to the Standing Rules:
The Treasurer will mail one dues notice to members in November, pursuant to
the WTCA by-laws. A reminder will be placed in the February WAG and a
reminder sent by email, or mail to those members without email addresses,
by March 1. In addition, at the discretion of the Treasurer, a letter may be
sent by U. S. Postal Service at any time after the first of the year to remind
those members that have not renewed their dues. No other action will be
taken without Board approval. (August 2011) (June 2013)
Dues are due on January 1st of each year.
Dues payments are not accepted after April 1st of each year. After that date,
WTCA membership is considered lapsed, and the member will not be
include in the WTCA directory for that year.
After April 1st, a lapsed member renewal form must be completed and sent to
the Treasurer with dues plus a $10 late fee if renewal is requested within
the calendar year. (June 1999)
The Corresponding Secretary will advise the Membership Chair to develop and
make a record of other information from the dues renewals form received
by the Treasurer. Such breakdowns shall show the talent and availability of
club members and where they are willing to volunteer. This breakdown
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 11
shall be for the board’s use only, not for the general membership
(May 2010)
New Members
Spouses of members can become a member of the WTCA by following
standard membership application procedures. (June 1994) (April 2005)
A signed statement shall appear on the bottom of the WTCA application stating
that a false statement or leaving a blank on the application will invalidate
membership. (June 1994)
All applicants for membership in the WTCA should be given a copy of the
Club’s objectives (first page of the Constitution and By-laws) with their
application. (March 1995)
New memberships will be voted on only after discussion at regularly scheduled
meetings of the Board. (January 1997) (October 2005) (June 2008)
A nonrefundable initiation fee of $10 must accompany new applications for
membership along with the first year’s dues. (June 1997) (October 2005)
(June 2008)
New members should receive, with their acceptance letter, a membership list,
a link to the Club's Website and the members only password so that they
can view or print the Constitution and By-Laws and Standing Rules. The
new member may request a copy of the Constitution/By-laws from the
Corresponding Secretary. (February 2000) (August 2011)
Wording change on WTCA membership application --Membership must be proposed by two members in good standing from two
different households who have held membership in the WTCA for at least
two years and who have known the applicant for at least one year. This
application must be accompanied by letters of recommendation from both
sponsors. (October 2002)
The names of prospective members must be published in the WAG prior to the
Board voting on membership. (October 2005)
The Board will not vote on applicants until after four weeks from the WAG
publication in which the applicants’ names were published. (March 2007)
Specialty Guidelines
A committee was established to make show site recommendations for floating
specialties. (February 2000)
Judges will not be invited to our annual dinner unless the dinner is after judging
is completed. (October 1985) (April 2008)
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 12
Sweepstakes Rules
The Welsh Terrier Club of America Sweepstakes is open to all Welsh Terriers
six months of age and under 18 months of age. The entry fee shall be
$10.00 and all entries shall be made at the same time and on the same
entry form as the regular classes. Indicate in the space for additional
classes your Sweepstakes entry including age division. All entries in the
Sweepstakes must also be entered in the Regular Classes at the regular
entry fee. Dogs shown in the Sweepstakes may not be shown by
professional handlers, members or their families, or their employees unless
such person is the sole owner/sole breeder, or co-owner/co-breeder with a
family or household member. Professional handler includes anyone who
has received monetary compensation for the handling of a dog.
(October 1992) (October 1999) (August 2011)
The show chairman shall include Sweepstakes Rules with the specialty
information sent to members for all specialties. (March 1999)
(August 2011)
Wag
Paid advertising is allowed in the Wag. (June 1994) (June 2008)
The advertising guidelines are:
Paid advertising will be accepted only from WTCA Members.
Cost for advertising in the WAG is $10 for one time only business card size
ad, $30/year for four (4) business card size ads and $5 for one-line
brags. (July 2008)
There will be no paid subscriptions to the Wag by non-members. (June 1994)
All published letters in the Wag must be signed. (October 1995)
The Wag will be sent by first class mail or email if requested by a member.
(June 1997) (August 2011)
A new deadline was approved for the Wag: 15th of the month before the
publication month for submissions. Wag to be mailed the 15tht of the
publication month. (June 2000) (Sept 2011)
It is the policy of the WAG to encourage the submissions and ultimate
publication of articles, photographs, letters to the editor and other
informative materials written by MEMBERS OF THE WTCA. All
submissions must be signed by the author. The committee reserves the
right to edit or to refuse publication of any materials they deem contrary to
the best interest of the breed, and/or the WTCA, or that are of a personal
and libelous nature. All materials submitted are subject to committee
revisions. Editorial revisions will be published only with the permission of
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 13
the original author. Opinions expressed in the WAG are not necessarily
those of the committee or the Board of the WTCA. (August 2003)
(July 2008) (November 2009) (August 2011)
WTCA Standing Rules
p. 14
PROCEDURES
Double Envelope System for Voting
This procedure explains the proper usage of the Double Envelope System
for voting used to select Officers and Directors and to select judges for
regular classes and sweepstakes classes at specialty shows. The purpose
of the double envelope system for voting is to assure the club members and
officers of accurate vote tallies and that there is no appearance of
impropriety in the receipt and counting of ballots.
Authority:
WTCA By-Laws Article IV, Section 3(c) – Election of Officers and Directors
WTCA Standing Rules – Judges, selection of
Duties of the Recording Secretary:
The Recording Secretary shall mail out ballots to all members in good standing
by the date specified for the election. Each member shall receive one
ballot, one inner return envelope and one pre-addressed return envelope.
For double memberships the two ballots and inner envelopes may be sent
with only one pre-addressed return envelope. Both the inner return
envelope and the pre-addressed outer return envelope shall be identified as
to the ballot, either “Election of Officers” or “Judge Selection.” The preaddressed outer envelope shall have the full mailing address of the
Recording Secretary.
A letter of explanation shall accompany the ballots and return envelopes. See
the Sample Voting Instructions in the SAMPLE DOCUMENTS section. This
letter shall state the following:
• The type of balloting and the due date for return of the ballot.
• Instructions for voting.
• That the ballots should be placed in the inner envelope and sealed, one
ballot per inner envelope, to be returned in the pre-addressed envelope.
• That no other correspondence should be included with the ballots.
• That the name and return address of the member shall be placed on the
pre-addressed envelope along with proper postage.
The Recording Secretary shall receive the unopened outer return envelopes
and in the case of the Election of Officers and Board turn them over to the
Inspectors of Election at the close of the election. For the judge selection
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 15
balloting the Recording Secretary shall follow the duties of the Inspectors of
Election listed below in the presence of two other club members.
Provide the Inspectors of Election with a roll of membership listing those
members in good standing eligible to vote and a tally sheet for the voting
which shall contain exactly the same position and candidate information as
the ballot except to be marked as “Tally Sheet”
Duties of the Voting Members:
Place filled out ballots in the inner return envelopes and seal, one ballot per
inner envelope.
Place the inner envelope(s) in the pre-addressed outer envelope with no other
correspondence.
Put complete name and return address on the outer envelope along with the
proper postage and mail. If the ballot is to be hand delivered it must be
sealed in the inner envelope and placed in the outer envelope with return
address affixed.
Duties of the Inspectors of Election and Vote Tally Procedure:
The following steps are to be completed in order, finishing one step
completely before starting on the next.
1.
Verify that all ballots have been received directly from the Recording
Secretary in their unopened outer envelopes.
2.
Take each outer envelope and verify the return name against the
membership roll. Set aside the unopened envelope in an invalid pile if the
name is not on the membership roll. Open the envelope and verify that
there is one inner envelope for a single membership, and no more than two
inner envelopes for a double membership. Set aside the outer envelope
and inner envelopes in an invalid pile if there is more than one inner
envelope for a single membership or more than two inner envelopes for a
double membership. Check off the name(s) on the membership roll from
the outer envelope. Place the unopened inner envelopes in a valid pile and
place the empty outer envelopes in a separate pile to be retained.
3.
Open the inner envelopes and remove the ballots. As each inner
envelope is opened, verify that there is only one ballot enclosed. Set aside
any multiple ballots with their envelope in an invalid pile. Place the ballot in
a pile to be counted.
4.
5.
Tally the votes for each candidate for each position.
Sign the tally sheet and deliver to the President. Save all voting materials
for possible recounts or contested results.
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 16
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Officers
President
Text goes here
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 17
Vice President
Text goes here
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 18
Recording Secretary
Text goes here
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 19
Corresponding Secretary
General duties:
Receive all communications from AKC and share with Board.
Receive other communication and acknowledge receipt to the sender,
indicating the correspondence will be available for discussion at the next
Board meeting. Be courteous and responsive to inquiries without obligating
the Board to any course of action.
Immediately after each Annual membership meeting notify AKC with names
of Officers and Directors, together with their contact information. Once you
are on record with AKC as current Corresponding Secretary, you will have
access to make any future changes to this information.
After each election, send to AKC the most current membership list.
Each time there is a change in the Corresponding Secretary, notify AKC’s
registration department to update the breed information sheet with correct
contact information for the current Corresponding Secretary. AKC includes
this information sheet each new registration certificate.
Send Specialty judges letter/contract confirming financial and other
requirements as in attached sample. Wording in the Letter/Contract is
important, as portions have been voted on by the Board to appear therein.
Provide copies to President and Specialty Chair of completed and signed
letter/contract from both sweeps & class judges. [See Attachment A .]
Send welcome letter to each newly approved WTCA members, per Bylaws.
[See Attachment B.]
Other correspondence as the Board and/or President may request.
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 20
Treasurer
Text goes here
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 21
Committees
AKC Gazette Committee
Authorization and Accountability
The AKC Gazette Committee is authorized by and accountable to the
WTCA Board of Directors. It offers article recommendations to the Board
of Directors in the development and implementation of the Welsh Terrier
Breed Column. This is vital to the appeal and usefulness of the breed
columns to other fanciers. The chairperson will be the contact for the
AKC Gazette column, will prepare reports/recommendations to the
Board, and prepare the annual report.
Purpose
Members are encouraged to be involved and contribute their time,
energy, and expertise, in breed specific articles. A committee of three
will provide general oversight of the publications on behalf of the Board
of Directors, submit articles and recommendation, and revise as
necessary to conform to AKC guidelines for Breed articles.
Members, Terms and Criteria
The AKC Gazette Committee includes the following members: a
chairperson and two additional members in good standing of the WTCA
one of which may be a liaison to the Board of Directors (the WTCA
President or other member of the present Board of Directors). The
President with the Board of Directors shall appoint the chair and
members of the committee. The Chair shall send reports to the Board
with recommendations on articles to be submitted. The Gazette
Committee is quite capable of writing something or choosing an
appropriate article from articles submitted to this committee. Any and all
submissions should be sent to the Gazette Committee and it will be read,
reviewed, and their merit discussed including relevance and factual
content. All submissions must be factual in nature and verifiable,
especially when referring to persons, dates, standard, etc. All articles
will be open to editing by the Gazette Committee. Upon selection of an
article the committee will make a recommendation to the Board. If the
Board of Directors does not approve the recommendation of the Gazette
Committee it is returned to the committee for rewrite. If approved, the
Chair submits article to Arliss Paddock at the AKC Gazette for
Publication under Welsh Terrier Breed Column.
The term/terms of the committee members are regulated by the WTCA
Board.
The Board and Committee must come to an agreement on articles that
will meet approval.
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 22
Any article not approved will be returned to the committee for further
revisions or editing
Articles for the Gazette are meant to appeal to the experienced dog
fancier and NOT written to appeal to a novice audience.
Many times articles may not be approved because they are viewed as
too “controversial” or some people do not want to inadvertently create
the wrong image for our breed. The board should keep in mind the
purpose and guidelines set forth by the Gazette in the type and quality of
the articles printed.
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 23
Ethics Committee
June 1, 2010
The Ethics Committee was established by the Welsh Terrier Club of
America (WTCA) in 2007. The original purview of the committee was to
review the WTCA Standing Rules; specifically the “Code of Ethics” and
make recommendations to the Board regarding clarification and nonsubstantive changes. In addition, there were, at that time, two or more
versions of the Code existing and signed by the members. The committee
determined that all members were bound by the most current version of the
Code, no matter which one they signed.
The Committee helped to update the correct Code on the WTCA website.
Any future changes in the Code must be dated and posted. It is still the
responsibility of the committee to review and make any recommendations
for changes or clarifications in the Standing Rules and Code of Ethics to the
WTCA Board for their review and action.
It is the hope of the committee that providing the membership with clear and
understandable rules, will help to prevent misunderstandings in the future.
The Ethics Committee is to be a standing committee of the club and serves
at the pleasure of the Board.
Member suggestions/complaints are within the purview of the committee.
The Chair will field all initial calls from members with complaints.
Discussion will be held on whether the complaint is able to be handled by
the committee; if it falls under the WTCA Constitution violations or Standing
Rules or Code of Ethics violations the full committee will discuss the
complaint. The Ethics Committee must understand and be able to interpret
the Constitution and by-Laws as well as the Standing Rules in order to
advise the members.
Members may be referred to the Section of the Constitution on Disciplinary
Action, Article VI, and the rules to be followed in making an official
complaint. All complaints must be member to member. A complaint must
be in writing if it is to be pursued by the committee and/or the Board, with
the letter going to the Recording Secretary for processing, along with the
corresponding fee that is required. Member against Board complaints and
non-member against member of the club are not under the purview of the
committee.
It does, however, benefit the member or the non-member to be able to
voice a complaint to the committee, and be given a recommendation to
write a letter of formal complaint to the Board if they so desire, but unless a
complaint rises to that degree, it will not be an official action of the
committee. Committee members are advised of the complaints but no
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 24
action is taken unless the complaint is member to member and a formal
request for action has been stated.
The Constitution and By-Laws must be followed by the Board. Soon after
appointment in 2007, the Ethics Committee made a recommendation to the
Board that the WTCA Treasurer needed to be bonded as required by the
by-laws. The Board followed up and bonded the Treasurer. The Ethics
Committee may, from time to time, or upon a complaint voiced by a
member, discuss with the President what the Board’s understanding is of a
specific provision of the Constitution and By-Laws is, and whether a
modification of the current Board process needs to be recommended.
When the Ethics Committee receives a letter of complaint from a member, a
written response will be provided.
If possible, the Ethics Committee should try to resolve complaints without
the need for official action by the committee or the Board. The Board
and/or a member of the club should be comfortable contacting the Ethics
committee for discussion and clarification of the rules. The Ethics
Committee, as any committee pursuant to the by-laws, shall always be
subject to the final authority of the Board.
The committee may be comprised of three members of the club at- large
with the President acting as an ex-officio member to advise the committee
when necessary.
Submitted by Janet Fox Stephens, Chair
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 25
Hospitality Committee
for MCKC Week Events
It is the responsibility of the WTCA hospitality committee to provide a dog
friendly environment where WTCA members and guests can relax and
socialize during the MCKC week.
Hotel:
•
Select a headquarter hotel
•
Meet with manager and sales director to discuss needs of WTCA
•
Find correct dates (Wed-Mon) for MCKC events for next year
•
Hotel should be dog friendly (large grassy area to set up xpens, exercise
dogs, dogs allowed in guest rooms at no extra charge, dogs allowed in
lobby and meeting room)
•
Convenient to all dog events
•
Block guest rooms (50+) a year a head of time
•
Reserve meeting room for hospitality, boutique and annual meeting (be
sure WTCA can provide own refreshments including beer/wine).
•
No charge for use of meeting room Wednesday-Sunday
•
Give manager diagram of WTCA set up for Wednesday-Sunday
•
Reserve tables and table cloths
•
Reserve chairs (70) and podium for annual meeting. Arrange for set up
of chairs
Hospitality Committee:
•
Discuss budget with treasurer
•
Discuss with specialty chair the possibility of continuing members bring
a treat to share from “their area” and if we ask for donations to help
cover cost of purchased items
•
Discuss with Fundraising chair and of hotel possibility of room raffle
•
Discuss with president date and time of annual meeting
•
Arrive Wednesday and set up hospitality
•
Give desk names of people that have access to key for meeting room
•
Schedule a committee member to be present in hospitality room
afternoons and evenings from Wednesday to Saturday
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 26
•
Provide refreshments Wednesday afternoon thru Saturday night
•
Provide plastic “poop’ bags
•
Provide donation jar for hospitality room
•
Purchase variety of sodas, beer, wine, cheese and crackers etc. (I shop
at Costco for food and supplies)
•
Purchase paper and plastic goods (WTCA owns serving bowls and
platters from $1.00 Store)
•
Provide Hostess bags (check with hotel to see how many members
have booked a room) that contain for example: small water bottle, hand
wipes, hard candy, packet of cookies/crackers, donated items
•
Print and make available directions to all dog events (agility,
conformation, earthdog)
•
Provide ring numbers and times Welsh will be shown
•
Have a follow up meeting with manager for comments from staff and
WTCA
•
Block rooms for next year
•
Write articles for The WAG (Nov- a thank you, February dates for MCKC
shows, rates for hotel. Other months include reminders and new
information.
•
Check periodically with management for number of guests reserved
•
Keep receipts to be submitted to treasurer (Also good to keep for next
year)
•
Keep notes on suggestions from members, hotel staff, food, and
beverages. Etc. (I keep a MCKC notebook from year to year)
Rie Hull
WTCA MCKC hospitality chair
May 2010
Nominating Committee
The nominating committee should follow the instructions provided in Article
IV, Section 4 of the WTCA By-laws including references to Article III,
Section1. All members of the committee should familiarize themselves with
these two sections of the By-laws.
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 27
Additional guidelines:
•
The committee chairman should place a notice in the February issue of the
Wag requesting the membership to send any suggestions they have to the
Nominating Chairman.
•
The committee chairman can also check with the current President,
Officers, and Board members for input.
•
The committee chairman should determine which of the current officers are
eligible to continue serving in their current positions.
•
The committee should then decide if it is in the best interest of the club to
leave any or all of the eligible officers in place keeping in mind the
importance of a cohesive Board.
•
The chairman should contact all of the currently serving officers that the
committee would like to retain and make sure they are willing to serve
another year.
•
Once the available positions are known, the committee will then select the
candidates according to the rules provided in the By-laws.
Ginny Winters 12/17/10
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 28
Webmaster
The WTCA webmaster is responsible for three main areas:
•
Maintaining the WTCA web site on the internet.
•
Administering the QuickBase database for membership information.
•
Working with the WAG committee to distribute the electronic WAG
version.
Keeping the web site current primarily consists of formatting and posting
show results, meeting minutes, committee reports and copies of the WAG.
The following items should be kept updated as required:
Minutes for both membership and board meetings
Show results from both Montgomery County and the floating specialties.
Information regarding future shows including deadlines for advertising,
entries, motel information and special events as the information is received
from the specialty co-ordinator.
Committee reports and announcements received from various committees
or the WTCA board.
Officer, board and committee membership and contact lists.
Current versions of the Constitution and Bylaws, Standing Rules, Code of
Ethics, Requirements for Membership and the Membership Application.
Setting of password for the “Members Only” section of the web site and
notification to club members of the password.
Administration of the QuickBase Membership Application consists of:
•
Setting access for officers and committees that require it and removing
access when no longer needed.
•
Providing new report formats if required for club operations (example: a
revised membership report for submission to the AKC done in 2009.)
Distribution of the electronic version of the WAG simply consists of posting
the WAG on the web site in a private area, sending emails to the club
members on the QuickBase list for electronic distribution and moving the
previous WAG to the “members only” section of the web site.
Both the maintenance of the web site and the administration of the
QuickBase Membership Application involve the use of passwords to access
the internet. Keeping the passwords confidential and private is very
important to maintaining the integrety of the WTCA’s data. To maintain this
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 29
privacy the webmaster should not share administrative passwords with any
other officer or committee, but should have them recorded in a secure
location.
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 30
FORMS AND DOCUMENTS
Sample Judge Contract
Contract goes here.
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 31
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 32
!
!
WELSH&TERRIER&CLUB&OF&AMERICA,&INC&
!
&
Application&for&Renewal&of&Lapsed&Membership&
!
Article!I,!section!4!(b)!of!the!Constitution!and!By:Laws!of!the!WTCA!states!!
!
A!membership!will!be!considered!as!lapsed!and!automatically!terminated!if!
such! member’s! dues! remain! unpaid! 90! days! after! the! first! day! of! the! fiscal!
year.!!In!no!case!may!a!person!be!entitled!to!vote!at!any!Club!meeting!whose!
dues!are!unpaid!as!of!the!date!of!that!meeting.!
!
The!Standing!Rules!do,!however,!provide!for!the!renewal!of!lapsed!membership!at!
any!time!during!the!calendar!year,!stating!
Dues! payments! are! not! accepted! after! April! 1st! of! each! year.! ! After! that! date,!
WTCA!membership!is!considered!lapsed,!and!the!member!will!not!be!included!
in!the!WTCA!directory!for!that!year.!
After!April!1st,!a!lapsed!member!renewal!form!must!be!completed!and!sent!to!
the!Treasurer!with!dues!plus!a!$10!late!fee!if!renewal!is!requested!within!the!
calendar!year.!!(June!1999)!
If! you! wish! your! membership! of! the! WTCA! to! be! reinstated,! please! provide! the!
following! information,! and! return! this! form,! with! the! appropriate! payment,! to! the!
Treasurer,!Fred!Adams,!5113,!Rocking!Horse!Lane,!Sarasota,!FL!34241!
!
Name(s)!!_____________________________________________________________________________________!
!
Address!!______________________________________________________________________________________!
!
Phone!!(h)_________________________________________!!(c)_______________________________________!!
!
Email(s)!!______________________________________________________________________________________!
!
!
!!!!!______________________________________________________________________________________!
!
Amount!enclosed!!___________________________________________________________________________!
!
Date!!__________________________________________________________________________________________!
!
Dues:! Single!$35.00!+!$10!late!fee!
!!
Joint!$60.00!+!$10!late!fee!
Junior!$15.00!+!$10!late!fee!
Foreign!members!without!a!US!mailing!address!should!add!an!additional!$10!fee.!
WTCA Sample Documents
p. 33
Sample Balloting Instruction Letter for Membership
WTCA Slate Ballot
Please note the following directions:
Place your completed ballot in the enclosed ballot envelope.
Seal the ballot and insert it in the return envelope (Use only the return envelope
provided. Do not enclose any other correspondence, as this envelope will not be
opened until immediately prior to the Annual Meeting on October 6, 2011).
BE SURE YOUR NAME AND RETURN ADDRESS ARE CLEARLY INDICATED ON
THE RETURN ENVELOPE.
Mail to: WTCA Recording Secretary, [Name & address here]
No petitions have been received from the membership nominating additional candidates
for the following positions, so these positions are unopposed.
[List positions]
[List names of incumbent]
In accordance with the WTCA By-Laws, written petitions were received by the WTCA
Recording Secretary prior to August 15, 20?? with nominees for the following positions
(Please vote for one candidate in each position.):
[List Positions]
WTCA Sample Documents
[List Candidates’ names]
p. 34